Job Title: Jasiri Fund Director
Hiring Organization: Center for Rights Education And Awareness
Location – Locality: Nairobi
Location – Region: Kenya
Industry: NGO
Job Type: Full Time
Salary: KES
Date Posted: 06/03/2024
The
Centre for Rights, Education and Awareness (CREAW) is a feminist, non-profit
womens rights organization that seeks to confront the low awareness of womens
real needs and rights in Kenya. CREAW envisions a transformed and just equal
society and its mission is to champion, expand and actualize womens rights.
Purpose
The
Jasiri Consortium comprising Centre For Rights Education and Awareness (CREAW),
Grassroots Organizations Operating Together in Sisterhood (GROOTS Kenya),
Collaborative Center for Gender and Development (CCGD), Centre for Domestic
Training and Development (CDTD) and Advocates for Social Change Kenya (ADSOCK)
are jointly implementing the Jasiri Scale Up Program for a period of 5 years
(2023-2028). The consortium seeks to hire an experienced finance and investment
professional to manage the Jasiri Fund which comprises up to 6,000,000 USD in
concessional loans and grants to survivors of gender-based violence.
Context
The
Jasiri program builds on the achievements of a pilot program implemented by the
consortium during the COVID Pandemic to address the high incidences of
gender-based violence. The program seeks to deepen support to most at-risk
girls and young women who are survivors of gender-based violence in 16 counties
in Kenya that are recording high prevalence rates of Gender Based Violence. The
Jasiri Program will expand its scope to address GBV and the heavy load of
unpaid care and domestic work as an emerging gender barrier that
disproportionately affects adolescent girls and young women living in rural
areas and urban informal settlements.
This
scale up will address the following systemic and structural barriers:
Limited
access to gender-responsive financial resources and skilling would reduce
entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for adolescent girls and young
women who are GBV survivors or at risk of GBV.
Limited
capacity and resources among national and sub-national (county) governments and
GBV service providers to effectively respond to GBV and unpaid care work faced
by adolescent girls and young women.
Social
norms and harmful cultural beliefs, attitudes and practices expose AGYW to
abuse and discrimination and prevent them from meaningfully participating in
the world of work.
The
programs broad interventions are
Engage
financial services providers and State department of gender to build up
responsive and inclusive financial services that cater to the full range needs
of young women especially gender-based violence survivors.
Support
and collaborate with community skilling partners to provide skilling
opportunities (life skills, entrepreneurship) to GBV survivors and most at-risk
Adolescent Girls and Young women (AGYW) as a pathway to work
Collaborate
with national and county governments and to address unpaid care and domestic
work through policy, practice, and budget reforms.
Engage
community leaders and gatekeepers (including men, boys, and cultural and
religious leaders) in shifting perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs that
perpetuate gender inequalities e.g GBV and the heavy load of unpaid care work.
Enhance
capacity and resilience GBV service providers including Safe shelter actors to
provide timely, safe, and confidential services to support the short- and
long-term healing and empowerment of GBV survivors.
Enhance
capacity of National and county governments (e.g., sensitization on how to
domesticate national GBV policies and SOPs) to implement laws and policies that
prevent and respond to GBV.
Some of
the expected program outcomes will include:
Increased
utilization and uptake of gender responsive and inclusive financial
services/products by young women and young women owned MSME’s.
Enhanced
resilience of GBV survivors and most at-risk adolescent girls and young women
in entrepreneurship and in the world of work.
More time
and agency for adolescent girls and young women to participate in economic
opportunities.
Roles and
Responsibilities of the Jasiri Fund Director
Strategy
Planning and Implementation:
Oversee
the development of strategies for the Jasiri fund’s activities related to
providing loans and grants to women entrepreneurs in the 16 target Counties.
Coordinate
the implementation of strategies to maximize the impact of loans and grants to
the women survivors of GBV under the Jasiri Program.
Advice
the Jasiri Program on measures to ensure sustainability of the Jasiri Fund
through loan collections and recycling
Financial
Management:
Oversee
the financial management of the Jasiri Fund (program grants and loans),
budgeting, financial reporting, and ensuring compliance with financial
regulations and laws of Kenya.
Monitor
the allocation of funds to ensure efficient use and achievement of objectives.
Risk
Management:
Assess
and identify risks associated with providing loans and grants to the program
participants, develop and coordinate implementation of strategies to mitigate
these risks.
Ensure
compliance with risk management policies and procedures under the program.
Stakeholder
Engagement:
Build and
maintain relationships with multiple stakeholders including financial services
providers (FSP’s), women entrepreneurs, partner organizations, donors, and
government agencies.
Work with
stakeholders to identify opportunities for partnership and resource
mobilization to maximize program impact.
Program
Development and Evaluation:
Coordinate
the design, development and implementation of interventions to support women
entrepreneurs, including capacity building, mentorship, and networking
opportunities.
Oversee
the monitoring and evaluation of program interventions on financial inclusion
for survivors of GBV and make recommendations for improvements.
Liaise
with the program communications and impact leads to document success stories
and systemic changes around financial inclusion attributable to the program
interventions.
Oversee
the development and implementation of a sustainability plan.
Compliance
and Reporting:
Ensure
compliance with all relevant laws, regulations, and policies ,particularly
those that govern financial services and products in Kenya
Prepare
regular reports for the Investment Advisory Committee and the Program Steering
Committee and any other relevant government agency, on the fund’s activities,
financial status and achievements.
Team
Management:
Liaise
with organizational line managers to guide fund managers in the respective
consortium partner organizations managing loans and grants to survivors of GBV.
Foster a
positive and supportive work environment, and encourage professional
development and growth.
Advocacy
and Awareness Building:
Support
program related advocacy interventions for systemic change specifically on
policies and initiatives that support women’s economic empowerment.
Qualifications
of the consultant.
Master’s
degree in finance, business administration, economics, entrepreneurship,
commerce or related field.
Minimum 7
years of proven experience in financial management, preferably in the banking
and financial services sector (microfinance institutions and other financial
intermediaries) in the context of women’s economic empowerment and social
impact funds and product management
Commitment
to gender equality and women’s rights and demonstrable experience working with
non-governmental entities on designing and implementing economic empowerment
programs for marginalized populations, including survivors of gender-based
violence.
Demonstrable
leadership and team management abilities and excellent communication, and
interpersonal skills.
Knowledge
of relevant laws, regulations, and best practices related to financial
management and women’s economic empowerment.
Ability
to work effectively in a multicultural and multidisciplinary environment.
Must be a
team player and a collaborator who can provide strategic leadership on the
Jasiri Fund.
Reporting
The Fund
Director will report to the Investment Advisory Committee and the Program
Steering Committee of the Jasiri Program.6. Duration
The
contract duration is two years, renewable.
How To
Apply
Please respond with your cover
letter and full application for the position to vacancies@creawkenya.org by close
of business 17th June 2024.
